http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,143637,00.htmlMore Dubya Talk
Jeff Huber | July 25, 2007
It's been another week chock full of Bush administration double talk, starting off with the latest stall for time in Iraq.
The New York Times reported that in closed-door videoconferences on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker told members of Congress that it was unlikely that the Iraqi government could reach all its benchmarks by September, when he and General David Petraeus are scheduled to report to Congress on the "surge" strategy But that shouldn't be a reason to abandon the present strategy, according to Crocker. The 18 benchmarks may not be the best measure of success in Iraq, he says.
As a vassal of the Bush administration, Crocker doesn't want the Iraq policy and strategy held up to any measures of success because measures of success are also measures of failure.
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Lo and Behold
It's not like most of us haven't seen this coming, but Bush's true intentions for Iraq are finally bubbling to the surface. The Times reported Tuesday morning that Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus have prepared a detailed plan that will involve a significant American role in Iraq for the next two years. The "Joint Campaign Plan," according to NYT's Michael R. Gordon, "is an elaboration of the new strategy President Bush signaled in January when he decided to send five additional American combat brigades and other units to Iraq."
The plan involves two phases: "local security" in Baghdad and other areas to be achieved by June 2008 and "sustainable security" on a nationwide basis to be established by summer of 2009.
Military officials in Iraq are careful to note that there is no guarantee of the plan's success, Gordon notes. Which means that even though they want two more years to "get the job done," the job may take even longer than that.
It's funny how Crocker and Petraeus claim they won't be able to assess the "surge" in September, but they already know we need to spend at least two more years in Iraq.